Smiting Theological Philistines with a Great Slaughter

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Ernest T. Bass Blogging

Blogging provocateur, Joel Taylor, continues his campaign to embarrass himself and heap life-crippling scorn upon his family. This time, fake pastor-teacher Joel has jumped to the end of a long line of cranks, loons, and other sundry theological wackos who over the decades have “officially” declared that John MacArthur is a heretic.

But John is in good company, I suppose, because over the course of the last year or so, fake pastor-teacher Joel has declared pretty much everyone not agreeing with him heretical. Folks like the entire TeamPyro blogging crew even including Phil Johnson, who Joel implied was a liar in a recent post, video blogger Lane Chaplin, and recently, street evangelist, Tony Miano. In fact, fake pastor-teacher Joel had a blog post dedicated to telling us how he thinks Tony is a joke, but he took it down a day or so afterward for some mysterious reason. I saved the text of his latest post declaring John is a heretic just in case.

What exactly makes John a “heretic” according to fake pastor-teacher Joel? Well, John believes Israel will be saved at the second coming of Christ just like the Bible says so. Joel believes this is “second-chance salvation,” or “salvation by sight,” rather than faith, and hence, because John believes what the Bible states in various passages like Zechariah 12 and Romans 11 he’s a “heretic,” at least in Joel’s fevered mind.

Now, some may wonder what’s the point in writing up a post about a crank who is the blogging equivalent of Ernest T. Bass chucking rocks through the windows of Mayberry courthouse? I realize this is against better judgment, and in fact, a number of individuals back where fake pastor-teacher Joel lives and who know him personally, tell me he’s nothing but an attention-seeking glory hound. They tell me I would be better off leaving him alone. Yet, in spite of those warnings, I do have a reason for this response which I’ll explain in a moment.

Before I begin, allow me to provide a bit of background. I did respond to something fake pastor-teacher Joel wrote back in May of 2011 with this post of mine. for those of you who may not recall, in May of 2011, Harold Camping was about to be exposed once again as a charlatan doomsday prophet. Fake pastor-teacher Joel, seizing upon the moment, made the odd-ball claim that John MacArthur was exactly the same as Camping with regards to preaching failed prophecies about the end of the world. However, because John is a “respected” radio preacher, everyone ignores him and let’s him get away with his “false prophecies.” Those “false prophecies” according to Joel, was John predicting the salvation and restoration of Israel at the return of Christ.

Why this bit of background is important for my readers today is quite simple. I did respond to fake pastor-teacher Joel and yet he ignored what I wrote. I guess that is all well and good. I don’t expect everyone I write about to offer their rebuttals. However, fake pastor-teacher Joel continued to say on his blog and on twitter that no one ever answers him. He would say stuff like, “When is someone gonna explain John’s position?” “When is someone gonna answer my charges?” etc, etc. I’d try to leave comments telling him I had answered him, but of course, those comments are conveniently deleted or left “unapproved.”

A few months later, he wrote up some similar non-sense against Dan Phillips and when Dan, who probably has better sense than I do in these matters, refused to argue with him, Joel interpreted that non-answer as “I’m right and you’re wrong and you can’t answer me.” Of course, I immediately pinged him on Twitter reminding him that I had answered him months prior to his latest similar screeds against Dan, but what did fake pastor-teacher Joel do? Why he responded in the sensible way anyone serious about real debate and discussion do: He blocked me so I could no longer read his tweets. And this is after he breathed out some threats against me about “going public” and “You’ll get yours!” kind of stuff.

Back to the post at hand.

If fake pastor-teacher Joel insists on publicly announcing to the watching world that John MacArthur, a man who has had 50 plus years of God blessed, fruitful ministry that is affirmed throughout the world by thousands of Bible-believing Christians, is a heretic, then fake pastor-teacher Joel needs to justify those comments.

He says John is teaching a false gospel by believing that Israel will be saved at Christ’s coming. Okay. If that is the case, what fake pastor-teacher Joel needs to do is answer the following questions:

Are such notable men as John Murray, Charles Hodge, J.C. Ryle, Leon Morris, and D.M. Lloyd-Jones heretics as well, because they believed the same thing as John does about Israel’s salvation?

Is he ready to do some real exegesis of various biblical passages, like Deuteronomy 4:29-31, 30:1-10; Ezekiel 36:24-28, 37:14, 22-23, 26-28; Zechariah 14:20,21 and Romans 11:25ff. where Israel is promised to be saved and restored in their land?

What about Zechariah 12? To be fair, Joel attempts to tie the prophecy of Israel looking upon their Messiah and mourning for him (12:10) to the reaction the Jews at Pentecost gave to Peter’s preaching in Acts 2:40 as well as John’s use of this prophecy in John 19:37. But those passages are just one part of the whole prophecy of Zechariah 12 that involves the entire nation awaiting their deliverer during the last days and their collective salvation.

And what about Romans 11:25ff.? I’d be happy if fake pastor-teacher Joel just interacted with my take on the passage I wrote out in my recent post on the subject.

So why exactly am I spending the time asking fake pastor-teacher Joel these questions that he more than likely will ignore and play like they don’t exist? Because of a comment left under his post by a person named “Hans.” Hans writes,

Our Pastor is a graduate of Masters Seminary. Two weeks ago I specifically asked in SS if he believed in a “second chance for salvation after the rapture of the church and not limited to Israel” “yes” there will be many saved, most martyred for faith”..
I was blown away, I stated this is contrary to whole of scripture…and was told not true.
Matthew 24-25 only applies to the Tribulation period…
Day of the Lord is not the Second Coming????
Trumpets herald good news… (just don’t tell the residents of Jericho that) etc.

This heresy is serious as it alters interpretation and how we live etc..

This “Hans” character represents a lot of “hanses” out there who read the idiocy of the likes of fake pastor-teacher Joel and will start hassling real pastors, deacons, and Sunday school teachers, who, like John and a host of other reputable men of God throughout the history of the church, believe Israel will come to salvation by the sovereign hand of God at the return of their true Messiah, Jesus Christ. It’s these misguided individuals who need to be answered and rebuked for listening to a nut.

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23 thoughts on “Ernest T. Bass Blogging”

I stopped reading 5 pt. salt a few years ago when he tried to take on the rapper Shai Linne. He somehow thought that publishing a Christian rap album was parallel to being a pastor, and called Shai out for being a polytheist because Joel simply didn’t have a clue what Shai was talking about in a rap song. I’m guessing Joel doesn’t listen to rap…

He’s just another typical “discernment ministry blogger” nutjobs who has a blog and uses it to usurp the activities of the office of elder without actually holding the office. He’s not on my list of frequent reads at all. The noetic effects of sin have taken their toll and he’s unable to reason anymore.

I’m not surprised in the slightest that he’s calling out John MacArthur as a heretic. I’m actually surprised that he hasn’t called out everyone BUT himself and his pastor as a heretic…but I guess you have to give a guy time. He’ll eventually find a reason to call his own pastor the bride of Satan.

Oh well. Have fun with this. You’re a greater sucker for punishment than I am!

This is the “character” Hans…I see I finally got my 15 minutes of fame. Yes, I do do fully disagree with John Mac Arthur when he says there is a second chance. And I was not “hassling” my Pastor when I asked a question. I will give you his number to verify my respect and courtesy.
It was John Mac Arthur who said “you can’t be a good Calvinist and nor believe in premil theolog”
excluding Wesley and CALVIN himself !! who rejected this eschatology. THink of that John Calvin himself rejected this teaching…as did Wesley…as did Martin Luther.
Finally your jumbling of others into me is wholly wrong, I rise and fall as individual.
Again, thanks for the 15 minutes…

Hans,
Glad you stopped by. You’ve been led astray by a wild man. I hope you repent of your errant thinking regarding John. For example, you write,

I do do fully disagree with John Mac Arthur when he says there is a second chance

John does not teach there is a second chance. Again. You’ve been led astray. Do you even understand what the scriptures state regarding Israel’s salvation? You do understand that it is God’s sovereign spirit who regenerates the people of Israel so that they look upon Christ and believe savingly. They are saved in just the same way you and I are saved: By a divine work of God. There isn’t any “second chance.”

You further write, It was John Mac Arthur who said “you can’t be a good Calvinist and nor believe in premil theolog”

Yes, he did say that. Now explain why he’s wrong exegetically It is irrelevant what John Wesley (who believed in perfectionism) and John Calvin (who believed in infant baptism) taught. Listen to John’s argument about why he says what he says about Israel, election, and premillennialism, AND then come back here and explain why he is mistaken. You may disagree with him, but that hardly makes him a heretic teaching a false gospel like you argued with your pastor.

You object to Mr. Taylor’s skewering of John MacArthur (and dispensationalists by extension), yet you are by no means a prime specimen of Christian charity yourself. After all, you have taken it upon yourself to compare him to the universally loathesome character from the Andy Griffith Show, calling him, an attention seeking glory hound, a “crank”, and “fake” no fewer than five times.

Methinks you protest a bit too much.

In any case, you cement your case against by doing the same thing you accuse him of doing; you throw out biblical references with neither context nor exegesis.

As if that we’re not enough, after the insults, the lack of exegesis, you selectively cite certain men as authorities and neglect 1800 years of church history. This fight was never about who had the most dead theologians on their side, but if you wish it to be, you my friend are on the wrong side.

I visit many sites and disagree with much of JT, and he is overboard in using heretic versus my use of heresy in this particular issue. Again my Pastor taught at the MS believes in a second chance for ALL MANKIND AND ISRAEL. I fully understand that Romans gives pause regarding Israel and that is not a sword I die upon. I will deny a secondary chance for all mankind and that Mt. 24-25 refers only to those in tribulation period etc.
I did listen to the sermon, I also read many who took great umbrage to such a exclusionary and divisive statement.
My son married a jewish girl, maybe before lashing out and rolling the wheels over myself you may want to consider that there is much you do not know…
My qualifications? My background? My true depth of faith etc?
I have not the time nor the writing ability to explain why JM is errant on this point. Have you read Robertson on the Land of Israel versus the true Israel? Much of my point is that a secondary salvation, the re=establishment of sacrifices, re-building the Temple is a diminishing of the work of Christ on the cross. Christ is the completion,finished. Why should we look back to the inferior?

Anyways this will only be settled someday ahead. I hope that our commonality in Christ will rule versus our differences. JM is not a heretic for the record in my ever so humble opinion.
H

Sorry, I don’t intend to be a specimen of Christian charity. In the same way the Elijah wasn’t a specimen of Christian charity when he confronted Ahab and his false prophets of Baal.

I tire of fake pastor-teacher Joel’s constant “5 point assaults” on a number of good men that I happen to know claiming they are heretics and the like. The man needs to be called out for what he is, a crank. I call him “fake” because he carries on like he is a recognized pastor and teacher of God’s people. In fact, when I first encountered him he falsely titled himself “pastor/teacher.”

You write,In any case, you cement your case against by doing the same thing you accuse him of doing; you throw out biblical references with neither context nor exegesis.

I would think that if you have an idea of what Joel is arguing against John and the passages I cited in response, I wouldn’t have to provide the context and exegesis at this point. But if you are interested, I’ve written extensively on this subject here, https://hipandthigh.wordpress.com/2010/07/07/studies-in-eschatology/ There is more than enough material there to get started on the exegesis and contexts of those references.

You further write,you selectively cite certain men as authorities and neglect 1800 years of church history.

You do understand why I cited those individuals, correct? That’s because they believe the exact same thing John MacArthur does on the restoration and salvation of Israel. And they are non-dispensationalists. Are they heretical like John is supposed to be? Do they teach a “second chance” salvation?

Hey again Hans,
Let me select some high lights. You write,Again my Pastor taught at the MS believes in a second chance for ALL MANKIND AND ISRAEL.

Maybe it may be helpful for you to define what you mean by “second chance.” How is your TMS grad pastor defining “second chance?” I understand second chance to mean a person dies, and then is given a second opportunity to either reject or accept Christ. This is hardly what John teaches or those who believe in the restoration and final salvation of Israel teach.

Continuing,I did listen to the sermon, I also read many who took great umbrage to such a exclusionary and divisive statement.

Well good. I read probably the same “outraged” individuals. John’s message was hardly divisive, at least in the negative sense. He certainly caused people to reevaluate what it is they believe about their hermeneutics. Moreover, those who expressed their “umbrage” in print, like Sam Waldron, offered lame responses. I specifically answered Sam Waldron’s book “MacArthur’s Millennial Manifesto” here, https://hipandthigh.wordpress.com/2010/07/07/studies-in-eschatology/

Have you read Robertson on the Land of Israel versus the true Israel? Much of my point is that a secondary salvation, the re=establishment of sacrifices, re-building the Temple is a diminishing of the work of Christ on the cross. Christ is the completion,finished. Why should we look back to the inferior?

You said, “Are such notable men as John Murray, Charles Hodge, J.C. Ryle, Leon Morris, and D.M. Lloyd-Jones heretics as well, because they believed the same thing as John does about Israel’s salvation?”

Uhm… Although I do most certainly agree that the Princeton Theologians were notable, neither Charles Hodge nor John Murray shared the same eschatology as Johnny Mac does. Just sayin’… They were Covenantal Presbyterian (like me, Woohoo! LOL).
..and also, Ryle and Morris were Anglican, and I believe Jones was too. Correct me if I’m wrong but I also believe Anglicans are covenantal as well, so they were not dispensational pre-mil’s either. Dispensational Pre-mil is a Baptist-only teaching I believe.

All that being said, eschatology differences do not make MacArthur a heretic. His gospel is spot on, regardless of his exegesis of Israel.

I’d also like to add, Joel is indeed a prideful fraud. I personally have called him to the mat for things he did against brothers in Christ. I even saved screen shots that I took of some of his posts and my replies to him on the same screen, yet they mysteriously never made it to his blog. He mysteriously edited his posts or deleted them (like the Miano post you mention) as well.. I prayed about writing something like this, but never felt it would be edifying, so I didn’t.
He doesn’t need to be stoned to death. His sin is against God, not us. We should pray for him and those like him. Lord knows I have done worse things on the internet, and God saved me from the consequences of that sin.

One more thing. ..for the record, I stopped following Joel’s tweets at his first melt down as he deleted his old @5ptsalt twitter acct. Even back then, I used to scratch my head at the things he said and chalked it up as typical for a self taught guy. You do have the option to unfollow him as well. Besides, I bet Johnny Mac can fight his own battles if he thought he needed to do so.

Thanks for the comment,
You write,Uhm… Although I do most certainly agree that the Princeton Theologians were notable, neither Charles Hodge nor John Murray shared the same eschatology as Johnny Mac does. Just sayin’… They were Covenantal Presbyterian (like me, Woohoo! LOL).
..and also, Ryle and Morris were Anglican, and I believe Jones was too. Correct me if I’m wrong but I also believe Anglicans are covenantal as well, so they were not dispensational pre-mil’s either. Dispensational Pre-mil is a Baptist-only teaching I believe.

I never said they were Dispensational, now did I? I said they hold to the exact same view regarding the nation Israel’s salvation at the return of Christ as John does. The point being is that they believe and taught that national Israel will be saved at Christ’s second coming, which means then they are just as “heretical” as John is. Joel doesn’t seem to get that. BTW, pretty much every original Dispensational premillennialist were Presbyterian, 5 point Calvinists. Chafer was a Presbyterian 5 pointer.

Besides, I bet Johnny Mac can fight his own battles if he thought he needed to do so.

Indeed he can. I typically write up responses like this because we have individuals who read something like Joel’s stuff and then contact our ministry to know if there is a response. John can’t obviously respond to every wacko, however, Joel probably intersects with enough people who are like-minded with us that I thought it necessary to have some response on hand just in case.

Ezekiel’s Temple has exact dimensions and a lot of detail. How anybody can try to spiritualize that is beyond me. I loved reading through “Christ’s Prophetic Plans” and getting to the roots of the spiritualization of much of the prophetic texts and the mischaracterization of Premillenial Dispensationalism.

Fred, thanks for taking the time to put these posts up to defend the truth because there are many people who read all kinds of stuff on the internet. And there are way too many folks spreading false accusations like this guy does.

You are a glutton for punishment sometimes. I both admire, and watch with a kind of horror.

I’ve never regretted not embracing that tarbaby. I saw the way he feigned a question to David Pittman in Twitter, then instantly made a complete jerk of himself. Guiding principles can be seen in Proverbs 17:10, 12, 16; 18:2; 20:3; and 27:22.

Plus, the question itself (introduced as if announcing Muhammed Ali’s entrance to a boxing ring) is simply asinine and empty. On that idiotic misread, nobody could have had saving faith during Christ’s incarnation, of which every single day would have to be interpreted as a “second chance,” “third chance,” “fourth chance,” and so forth.

I was discipled by dispensationalists and listened to John back in the 70s. Some years later I came to settle on amillenialism by just reading the Scriptures. I didn’t even know such a doctrine existed. It was clear that after the Holy Spirit was removed at the Rapture perhaps millions would come to Christ, a second chance so to speak. So, on the surface it might appear that I agree with Taylor. But Taylor is a white supremacist heretic and Pharisee and clearly not a believer. I’ve kindly told him that numerous times. He offers numerous heresies perhaps too many to count and there appears to be nary an ounce of love in him. He would have eagerly sought to be the one to pound the Lord’s hands and feet into the cross. And for the record, John is NOT a heretic in any way, shape or form.